Here is a clip of Jeff Dunham's latest comedy special that aired on Comedy Central a few weeks back. As you can tell in the below video, Dunham is a hilarious ventriloquist comedian. Enjoy!!
Friday, October 05, 2007
Friday Floetry X 10/5/07
This week’s Floetry comes from the 1990s courtesy of Big L. For those that consider themselves experts on rap and hip-hop (which I never have and probably never will), Big L should be etched in your memory. Many people and critics put Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G. and Big L in the same sentence when speaking of legendary rappers. Eminem recently called them the 3 martyrs in the history of hip-hop.
Big L had two major albums in his short career: Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous, and The Big Picture (which came out after his death). Lifestylez featured the up and coming Jay-Z (a track Big L did with Jay-Z, called “7 Minute Freestyle” is legendary). Lifestylez did not do well commercially in part because of several violent and vulgar lyrics, which were not radio friendly. The Big Picture actually did well commercially, but sadly it came out after Big L had been murdered (which of course could go back to the whole, “rappers sell better when they are retired or dead” ideology). Two songs from that album, Ebonics and Flamboyant, reached number one on the charts. The Big Picture went platinum in 2001.
Jay-Z is considered one of the greats today and he can definitely be heard mentioning Big L’s name here and there. Also, Jay-Z’s “little brother”, Kanye West, in his newest album that came out about 3 weeks, also mentions Big L and Biggie in the same sentence by saying how he would wanna be compared to Big L or Notorious. Part of the reason Big L’s style and technique may have been overlooked by the general public is because of the big-time public beef that went down between Tupac and Biggie, East and West Coast etc etc…
Anyway, for more of a history of Big L check out the Internet. There are definitely a lot of people that haven’t forgotten about Harlem’s Finest aka Lamont Coleman (May 30, 1974 – February 15, 1999).
I feel a lot of pressure in representing Big L right. I was between a verse from Ebonics and Flamboyant, but I guess I’ll go with Flamboyant. Definitely check out his other lyrics on the web or maybe in future editions of Friday Floetry.
Floetry:
Make sure my mic is loud and my production is tight
Better watch me round your girl if you ain't f*cking her right
You damn playa haters never want to see me blow
Flamboyant Entertainment CEO
Yo the spotlight is mine, it ain't his no more
When Lee come home, ni**as can't live no more
And ... I'm straight, keep a Harlem World mindstate
I never lounge where you find Jake
Suprise ni**as like a blind date, L rhyme great
And I'm a increase the crime rate for old time's sake
Run with me and I'm a make you a star
When me and my crew hit the clubs, we go straight to the bar
Leave 'em empty, I cruise through Harlem in an M3
Never pay for parties, say my name and I'm in free
I'm on some 100-G car s*it, superstar s*it
Selling ni**as that wet s*it right out the jar s*it
I'm dumb hot, I'll wreck you and your young flock
Keep the gun cock, represent one block
139 ni**a, the Danger Zone
We quick to put a bullet in a stranger's dome
I'm known to kick a rough rhyme and rock much shine
Yo I'm out, I done took up enough time
We out, no doubt, you know how we do, Flamboyent for life
Taken From Flamboyant by Big L
Big L had two major albums in his short career: Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous, and The Big Picture (which came out after his death). Lifestylez featured the up and coming Jay-Z (a track Big L did with Jay-Z, called “7 Minute Freestyle” is legendary). Lifestylez did not do well commercially in part because of several violent and vulgar lyrics, which were not radio friendly. The Big Picture actually did well commercially, but sadly it came out after Big L had been murdered (which of course could go back to the whole, “rappers sell better when they are retired or dead” ideology). Two songs from that album, Ebonics and Flamboyant, reached number one on the charts. The Big Picture went platinum in 2001.
Jay-Z is considered one of the greats today and he can definitely be heard mentioning Big L’s name here and there. Also, Jay-Z’s “little brother”, Kanye West, in his newest album that came out about 3 weeks, also mentions Big L and Biggie in the same sentence by saying how he would wanna be compared to Big L or Notorious. Part of the reason Big L’s style and technique may have been overlooked by the general public is because of the big-time public beef that went down between Tupac and Biggie, East and West Coast etc etc…
Anyway, for more of a history of Big L check out the Internet. There are definitely a lot of people that haven’t forgotten about Harlem’s Finest aka Lamont Coleman (May 30, 1974 – February 15, 1999).
I feel a lot of pressure in representing Big L right. I was between a verse from Ebonics and Flamboyant, but I guess I’ll go with Flamboyant. Definitely check out his other lyrics on the web or maybe in future editions of Friday Floetry.
Floetry:
Make sure my mic is loud and my production is tight
Better watch me round your girl if you ain't f*cking her right
You damn playa haters never want to see me blow
Flamboyant Entertainment CEO
Yo the spotlight is mine, it ain't his no more
When Lee come home, ni**as can't live no more
And ... I'm straight, keep a Harlem World mindstate
I never lounge where you find Jake
Suprise ni**as like a blind date, L rhyme great
And I'm a increase the crime rate for old time's sake
Run with me and I'm a make you a star
When me and my crew hit the clubs, we go straight to the bar
Leave 'em empty, I cruise through Harlem in an M3
Never pay for parties, say my name and I'm in free
I'm on some 100-G car s*it, superstar s*it
Selling ni**as that wet s*it right out the jar s*it
I'm dumb hot, I'll wreck you and your young flock
Keep the gun cock, represent one block
139 ni**a, the Danger Zone
We quick to put a bullet in a stranger's dome
I'm known to kick a rough rhyme and rock much shine
Yo I'm out, I done took up enough time
We out, no doubt, you know how we do, Flamboyent for life
Taken From Flamboyant by Big L
Weekend preparations
So I totally dropped the ball this week and didnt do a weekend review. Here is a quick recap. Friday, I dont really remember much after 2 margaritas at Molinas (love the wheat tortillas), the free shot at Fix, the free beers at Swivel, and who knows what I drank at Whiskey Creek. But it was fun. Saturday was a lot more chill, just basic Kobain and Pub. I did try a new restaurant though - for me - Uptown Sushi. The food was quite tasty. The drinks were good. The prices werent too different from other sushi. But the proportions of things are small. Like you get 10 edemame. Haha, what? Anyways, it also took forever to be seated, so make resrvations if you want to go. I think we were there from 8-11. That wasnt the plan.
Anyways, this weekend I am making a trip to visit a few friends in NY. So my review on Tuesday should be quite interesting. (note I said Tuesday, I am staying there until Monday night). Talk to you soon!
Anyways, this weekend I am making a trip to visit a few friends in NY. So my review on Tuesday should be quite interesting. (note I said Tuesday, I am staying there until Monday night). Talk to you soon!
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Big Saturday in College Football Land
ESPN is calling it "Gut Check Saturday," but it should be more aptly named, "Put Up or Shut Up Saturday." This is a weekend (including tonight) that before the season would've been an ordinary slate of games, but due to the nature of the scheduling, some well-timed upsets and the greater parity in the top conferences, this Saturday will help us determine which teams are for real and which teams have been truly feasting on cupcakes all season. Preview and predictions of the major games are as follows (all rankings are my rankings and the lines are courtesy of College Football News):
Tonight: #11 Kentucky at #18 South Carolina (-3.5) - Which of these teams is for real? UK has wins over rival Louisville and Arkansas, while South Carolina beat Georgia and hung close with LSU. This game should tell us who can make some noise in the SEC East. Prediction: Kentucky
Saturday
#10 Florida at #1 LSU (-9) - Florida was upset by Auburn last week and faces their biggest test this season going into Baton Rouge under the lights. If the beautiful aroma of bourbon doesn't knock the Gators out the LSU defense will. However, in order to beat the Gators, the Bayou Bengal offense will have to do more than just show up. It is time for Matt Flynn to step up and remove any doubt that he should be the QB1. Prediction: LSU
#4 Ohio State (-7) at #21 Purdue - The Buckeyes have really not been challenged in any of their games despite some closer scores. The defense looks legit, but it will have to face what appears to be a solid Boilermaker offense. This game will finally let us know if Purdue is a Big 10 title competitor or just a typical Purdue team that beats up on the cupcakes on their schedule. Prediction: Purdue with the upset, though OSU is the better team
#8 Wisconsin at Illinois (-2.5) - That is not a misprint. Ron Zook's Fightin Illini are favored to beat a very inconsistent, though 5-0 Wisconsin Badger team. I firmly believe this is the week the Badgers prove they are the team to beat in the Big 10 like I predicted in the preseason and simply dominate the Illini. Prediction: Wisconsin
Red River Rivalry - #5 Oklahoma (-11) vs. Texas in Dallas - Both teams are coming off upsets, but in only one of the games was the losing team simply outplayed and outclassed, which of course was Texas. At this point, UT has a potentially-concussed quarterback, an offensive coordinator that doesn't understand how to open up the passing game (and by open up I mean throw the ball upfield for longer than 3 yards) and a banged-up psyche. Oklahoma just looked complacent in the second half and when it was time to put their collective foot back on the gas, the tank was already empty. Inexcusable loss, but no major weaknesses were discovered, unlike the team from Austin. Prediction: Oklahoma
#19 Kansas at #22 Kansas State (-3) - K-State is coming off a huge victory over the Longhorns and may suffer a post-victory setback playing in-state rivals Kansas. The Jayhawks have truly feasted on some cupcakes and face their first real test. One of these teams will not be in the rankings next week and will be exposed for what they really are. Prediction: Kansas
Nebraska at #15 Missouri (-7) - This is a tough one because I think Missouri is legit, but I just can't get a read on the Huskers. Therefore, I don't know if a close game between these two will us any more about the season outlook for either. This is why they play the games. Prediction: Mizzou
#20 Georgia at Tennessee (-2) - Has Georgia grown up from the early part of the season and will they get revenge on a Volunteer team that hung over 50 on em between the Hedges last year. Tennessee has been up and down this year. The Dawgs will get their retribution on. Prediction: Georgia
#16 Virginia Tech at Clemson (-5.5) - The Hokies have been on a little roll since their atrocious loss at LSU and are ready to step back up among the big boys. Clemson is coming off a backbreaking loss to the GT Yellow Jackets. Hopefully, it won't come down to a field goal for the Tigers. Prediction: Va Tech
#14 Cincinnati at #17 Rutgers (-3.5) - Does Rutgers, coming off a loss to Maryland, get revenge on the Bearcats for their season-crippling loss last year or do the Bearcats keep their undefeated season and shot at a BCS bowl alive? With maybe the exception of South Florida, nobody in the Big East is playing as well as Cincinnati. Prediction: Cincinnati
Houston at Alabama (-11) - The Tide are coming off two straight losses and the Coogs are coming back from a devastating loss to ECU. This is Bama's homecoming game and Saban is the devil (at least in Miami and other parts of the US), so I am predicting a Cougar victory and have even put my money where my mouth is and didn't even take the 11 points. Prediction: Coogs!
Tonight: #11 Kentucky at #18 South Carolina (-3.5) - Which of these teams is for real? UK has wins over rival Louisville and Arkansas, while South Carolina beat Georgia and hung close with LSU. This game should tell us who can make some noise in the SEC East. Prediction: Kentucky
Saturday
#10 Florida at #1 LSU (-9) - Florida was upset by Auburn last week and faces their biggest test this season going into Baton Rouge under the lights. If the beautiful aroma of bourbon doesn't knock the Gators out the LSU defense will. However, in order to beat the Gators, the Bayou Bengal offense will have to do more than just show up. It is time for Matt Flynn to step up and remove any doubt that he should be the QB1. Prediction: LSU
#4 Ohio State (-7) at #21 Purdue - The Buckeyes have really not been challenged in any of their games despite some closer scores. The defense looks legit, but it will have to face what appears to be a solid Boilermaker offense. This game will finally let us know if Purdue is a Big 10 title competitor or just a typical Purdue team that beats up on the cupcakes on their schedule. Prediction: Purdue with the upset, though OSU is the better team
#8 Wisconsin at Illinois (-2.5) - That is not a misprint. Ron Zook's Fightin Illini are favored to beat a very inconsistent, though 5-0 Wisconsin Badger team. I firmly believe this is the week the Badgers prove they are the team to beat in the Big 10 like I predicted in the preseason and simply dominate the Illini. Prediction: Wisconsin
Red River Rivalry - #5 Oklahoma (-11) vs. Texas in Dallas - Both teams are coming off upsets, but in only one of the games was the losing team simply outplayed and outclassed, which of course was Texas. At this point, UT has a potentially-concussed quarterback, an offensive coordinator that doesn't understand how to open up the passing game (and by open up I mean throw the ball upfield for longer than 3 yards) and a banged-up psyche. Oklahoma just looked complacent in the second half and when it was time to put their collective foot back on the gas, the tank was already empty. Inexcusable loss, but no major weaknesses were discovered, unlike the team from Austin. Prediction: Oklahoma
#19 Kansas at #22 Kansas State (-3) - K-State is coming off a huge victory over the Longhorns and may suffer a post-victory setback playing in-state rivals Kansas. The Jayhawks have truly feasted on some cupcakes and face their first real test. One of these teams will not be in the rankings next week and will be exposed for what they really are. Prediction: Kansas
Nebraska at #15 Missouri (-7) - This is a tough one because I think Missouri is legit, but I just can't get a read on the Huskers. Therefore, I don't know if a close game between these two will us any more about the season outlook for either. This is why they play the games. Prediction: Mizzou
#20 Georgia at Tennessee (-2) - Has Georgia grown up from the early part of the season and will they get revenge on a Volunteer team that hung over 50 on em between the Hedges last year. Tennessee has been up and down this year. The Dawgs will get their retribution on. Prediction: Georgia
#16 Virginia Tech at Clemson (-5.5) - The Hokies have been on a little roll since their atrocious loss at LSU and are ready to step back up among the big boys. Clemson is coming off a backbreaking loss to the GT Yellow Jackets. Hopefully, it won't come down to a field goal for the Tigers. Prediction: Va Tech
#14 Cincinnati at #17 Rutgers (-3.5) - Does Rutgers, coming off a loss to Maryland, get revenge on the Bearcats for their season-crippling loss last year or do the Bearcats keep their undefeated season and shot at a BCS bowl alive? With maybe the exception of South Florida, nobody in the Big East is playing as well as Cincinnati. Prediction: Cincinnati
Houston at Alabama (-11) - The Tide are coming off two straight losses and the Coogs are coming back from a devastating loss to ECU. This is Bama's homecoming game and Saban is the devil (at least in Miami and other parts of the US), so I am predicting a Cougar victory and have even put my money where my mouth is and didn't even take the 11 points. Prediction: Coogs!
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
MLB Playoff Preview and Predictions
I haven't really talked about baseball much on this blog because my Stros had a very forgettable season, with the exceptions of the beginning of Hunter Pence's career and the retirement of Craig Biggio. However, October is here and that means playoffs. After a turbulent few weeks with teams jockeying for playoff spots, the Phillies and Rockies are entering the postseason on sensational hot streaks, with the Phils swiping the NL East from the Mets (or the Mets choking it away - all depending on what fanbase you belong to) and the Rockies winning a one-game playoff against the Padres to take the NL Wild Card. The 8 teams that are in are the Red Sox, Yankees, Indians and Angels in the AL and the Phillies, Cubs, Diamondbacks and Rockies [Ed. note - I guessed correctly on 5 of the 8 teams missing the Rockies, Cubs and Phillies]. Each team has a good story and the playoffs should give us some dramatic occurrences. Of course, due to the victory in the All-Star Game, the American League will again have home-field advantage.
Judz' expert predictions
Divisional Series:
Indians over Yankees in 5
Red Sox over Angels in 4
D-Backs over Cubs in 5
Phils over Rockies in 3
League Championship Series:
Red Sox over Indians in 6
Phillies over D-Backs in 7
World Series:
Red Sox over Phillies in 5
Drillo's not-so-expert opinions that will probably be more accurate than mine
Divisional Series:
Yankees over Indians in 4
Angels over Red Sox in 4
D-Backs over Cubs in 5
Phils over Rockies in 4
League Championship Series:
Angels over Yankees in 6
Phillies over D-Backs in 6
World Series:
Angels over Phillies in 5
Judz' expert predictions
Divisional Series:
Indians over Yankees in 5
Red Sox over Angels in 4
D-Backs over Cubs in 5
Phils over Rockies in 3
League Championship Series:
Red Sox over Indians in 6
Phillies over D-Backs in 7
World Series:
Red Sox over Phillies in 5
Drillo's not-so-expert opinions that will probably be more accurate than mine
Divisional Series:
Yankees over Indians in 4
Angels over Red Sox in 4
D-Backs over Cubs in 5
Phils over Rockies in 4
League Championship Series:
Angels over Yankees in 6
Phillies over D-Backs in 6
World Series:
Angels over Phillies in 5
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
SNL Tantrums
Well, I missed this past weekend's SNL season premiere (honestly I can't remember the last time I actually watched SNL live), but I had been interested in it since the host was LeBron James and Kanye West was the musical guest.
Here is a clip of the skit Kanye did on the show. In the skit he basically pokes fun at himself for all the tantrums he has thrown for not winning awards ("throwing tantrums like he was 3 years old"). If you are up on your Kanye tantrums, you might recognize the similarities between some of these "skit" tantrums and the ones he he has thrown at the VMAs or Grammys.
Stay until the end when LBJ and Lorne Michaels make an appearance.
I know this isn't the Kanye blog, but even Haters should find this clip at least entertaining.
Here is a clip of the skit Kanye did on the show. In the skit he basically pokes fun at himself for all the tantrums he has thrown for not winning awards ("throwing tantrums like he was 3 years old"). If you are up on your Kanye tantrums, you might recognize the similarities between some of these "skit" tantrums and the ones he he has thrown at the VMAs or Grammys.
Stay until the end when LBJ and Lorne Michaels make an appearance.
I know this isn't the Kanye blog, but even Haters should find this clip at least entertaining.
NFL Post-Week 4 Top 32 Poll
Like most every Sunday, I went up to B-Dubs to watch all of the games on Sunday, with most of my attention being on the Texans-Falcons, Cowboys-Rams, Packers-Vikings for the early games and Broncos-Colts and Bucs-Panthers for the afternoon games. For the most part, the games were at best bland. Granted, seeing Favre break arsehole Dan Marino's record was thrilling, more because of my dislike of Marino than for any type of like for Favre. Next, watching Daunte getting his roll on against his former Miami team was beautiful, considering he was 5-12 for 75 yards, but was responsible for 5 touchdowns in the process. Hopefully, next week will provide us with more excitement. Now onto this weeks Top 32:
1. New England - Still the best team by far, but they have yet to play a good defense
2. Dallas - Best of the NFC, but defense can be susceptible and big showdown with NE in two weeks
3. Indianapolis - Suffered some injuries these past few weeks, so we will wait and see what impact they will have
4. Green Bay - I don't know how, but here they are
5-32. Everyone else
1. New England - Still the best team by far, but they have yet to play a good defense
2. Dallas - Best of the NFC, but defense can be susceptible and big showdown with NE in two weeks
3. Indianapolis - Suffered some injuries these past few weeks, so we will wait and see what impact they will have
4. Green Bay - I don't know how, but here they are
5-32. Everyone else
Judz College Football Top 25 (Week 5)
As mentioned in the CFB Review, with lots of upsets and other teams proving their worth, the poll has undergone some changes.
1. LSU - Big game Saturday night vs. Florida
2. USC - Last week I told you to wake me up when they play Cal and Oregon, now USC better wake up or they may be tripped up like some other teams this past week
3. California - Big time win over Oregon and have proved that they belong in this national title discussion
4. Ohio State - Still appears to be class of Big Eleven, but faces first real test this season against Purdue
5. Oklahoma - Totally inexcusable loss, but they are still a top 5 team and will blow out an overrated Texas team, especially if Colt is still a little loopy from the beatdown he took from K-State
6. Oregon - Came within a bad bounce of beating California, so while other teams looked average against okay squads, the Ducks proved they belong in the top 10
7. South Florida - I wasn't planning on ranking these Bulls this high, but they just win, having beaten both Auburn and West Virginia, though they still have tough sledding to get through the rest of the Big East
8. Wisconsin - Beat Michigan State, but not that convincingly and their defense keeps looking very suspect
9. Boston College - Still the class of the ACC, but the road gets a lot tougher starting this week
10. Florida - Fell into the trap game, but the Gators could still do some chomping in Baton Rouge
11. Kentucky - Are they really this good? Let's wait and see til they play UGA, UF and UT
12. Arizona State - I still haven't seen these guys play, but other people are ranking them this high, so there is obviously something to their 5-0 record
13. West Virginia - The Pat White injury could be devastating to a team that requires his presence to get the ball moving, plus you really need to win those revenge games, especially if you are a national title contender
14. Cincinnati - The Bearcats just keep doing their thing, but tougher games remain
15. Missouri - The win over Illinois now actually looks more impressive, but need to beat Nebraska in two weeks to prove that they deserve a higher ranking
16. Virginia Tech - The team is finally starting to play like Hokies most expected them to be, but the qb needs to step it up as ACC play gets into full swing
17. Rutgers - Inexcusable loss to Maryland, but still a team no one wants to play
18. South Carolina - Big game against UK this week will tell us more about both teams
19. Kansas - We will find out Saturday if this team has merely just feasted on inferior teams or if they are a contender in the Big 12 North when they take on K-State
20. Georgia - This Saturday is shaping up to be a good one as the Dawgs take on the Vols and we will find out if they have grown up since the loss to the Cocks
21. Purdue - Get first big test against Ohio State
22. Kansas State - Put a hurting on the Horns for the second year in a row, this time in Austin, and had they beaten Auburn to start the season like they should have, this would be a top 20 team
23. UCLA - Just like the Sooners did in Colorado, UCLA obviously sharted the bed against the Utes a few weeks back, but are still a very good team
24. Virginia - With the opening day loss to Wyoming behind them, Al Groh has turned the Cavs into a solid ACC team that will make some noise this season
25. Hawaii - The offense can put up points against anyone and will continue to dominate the WAC until they play Boise State
Rankings Query Update - I don't know if the folks at CFN read my rankings last week, but my ego is maladjusted enough to think they did and that it influenced their 1-119 rankings this week. Despite snatching defeat from the hands of victory Saturday night against East Carolina, the Coogs have jumped to #70 in CFN's rankings this week from #73, whilst Colorado State has plummeted from #62 to #77 and Notre Dame dropped from #70 to #75. In some small way, I really feel like my efforts here at In Judz We Trust have made the world just a wee bit better this week and that is a testament to you, my dear readers.
1. LSU - Big game Saturday night vs. Florida
2. USC - Last week I told you to wake me up when they play Cal and Oregon, now USC better wake up or they may be tripped up like some other teams this past week
3. California - Big time win over Oregon and have proved that they belong in this national title discussion
4. Ohio State - Still appears to be class of Big Eleven, but faces first real test this season against Purdue
5. Oklahoma - Totally inexcusable loss, but they are still a top 5 team and will blow out an overrated Texas team, especially if Colt is still a little loopy from the beatdown he took from K-State
6. Oregon - Came within a bad bounce of beating California, so while other teams looked average against okay squads, the Ducks proved they belong in the top 10
7. South Florida - I wasn't planning on ranking these Bulls this high, but they just win, having beaten both Auburn and West Virginia, though they still have tough sledding to get through the rest of the Big East
8. Wisconsin - Beat Michigan State, but not that convincingly and their defense keeps looking very suspect
9. Boston College - Still the class of the ACC, but the road gets a lot tougher starting this week
10. Florida - Fell into the trap game, but the Gators could still do some chomping in Baton Rouge
11. Kentucky - Are they really this good? Let's wait and see til they play UGA, UF and UT
12. Arizona State - I still haven't seen these guys play, but other people are ranking them this high, so there is obviously something to their 5-0 record
13. West Virginia - The Pat White injury could be devastating to a team that requires his presence to get the ball moving, plus you really need to win those revenge games, especially if you are a national title contender
14. Cincinnati - The Bearcats just keep doing their thing, but tougher games remain
15. Missouri - The win over Illinois now actually looks more impressive, but need to beat Nebraska in two weeks to prove that they deserve a higher ranking
16. Virginia Tech - The team is finally starting to play like Hokies most expected them to be, but the qb needs to step it up as ACC play gets into full swing
17. Rutgers - Inexcusable loss to Maryland, but still a team no one wants to play
18. South Carolina - Big game against UK this week will tell us more about both teams
19. Kansas - We will find out Saturday if this team has merely just feasted on inferior teams or if they are a contender in the Big 12 North when they take on K-State
20. Georgia - This Saturday is shaping up to be a good one as the Dawgs take on the Vols and we will find out if they have grown up since the loss to the Cocks
21. Purdue - Get first big test against Ohio State
22. Kansas State - Put a hurting on the Horns for the second year in a row, this time in Austin, and had they beaten Auburn to start the season like they should have, this would be a top 20 team
23. UCLA - Just like the Sooners did in Colorado, UCLA obviously sharted the bed against the Utes a few weeks back, but are still a very good team
24. Virginia - With the opening day loss to Wyoming behind them, Al Groh has turned the Cavs into a solid ACC team that will make some noise this season
25. Hawaii - The offense can put up points against anyone and will continue to dominate the WAC until they play Boise State
Rankings Query Update - I don't know if the folks at CFN read my rankings last week, but my ego is maladjusted enough to think they did and that it influenced their 1-119 rankings this week. Despite snatching defeat from the hands of victory Saturday night against East Carolina, the Coogs have jumped to #70 in CFN's rankings this week from #73, whilst Colorado State has plummeted from #62 to #77 and Notre Dame dropped from #70 to #75. In some small way, I really feel like my efforts here at In Judz We Trust have made the world just a wee bit better this week and that is a testament to you, my dear readers.
Monday, October 01, 2007
The Kingdom
I am having trouble figuring out how to begin this review and I think that it has to do with me trying to figure out what type of movie this actually was. It had elements from Syriana (which I considered to be a little too convoluted and full of itself with way too many storylines that were tenuously strung together), which at least one reviewer maintained that this was Syriana without the brains. I think some of the issues lie with director Peter Berg, who has directed movies spanning numerous genres, such as Very Bad Things (a very dark comedy about the killing of a prostitute during a bachelor party), The Rundown (kind of buddy action comedy with The Rock, Seann William Scott and Christopher Walken set in Amazon) and Friday Night Lights (a heavily dramatic sports movie). Was this trying to be an action movie with political undertones or a political movie with some action? Obviously it was not based on a true story, but it had some elements of Black Hawk Down, namely the claustrophobic feeling of the final shootout, which kind of suffered from a similar dichotomy of action and politics. I don't think this movie was trying to make a statement, but it didn't paint either side of this battle in any kind of good light, especially with the ending scene and the all or nothing approach.
Don't get me wrong as I really enjoyed the movie. The movie centered around an attack on an American compound located in Saudi Arabia and the quest to find the perpetrators of the attack. The action scenes were tense and well-filmed (which is tough to say with most movies nowadays). Berg did a great job of setting the scene with a fairly brilliant opening credit sequence that played as a kind of history lesson, as this movie dealt with the unique relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States, and the fact that this was not one of the other countries in the Middle East that most of us know more about. Jamie Foxx did his thing as the head of the FBI team sent to investigate the bombing. Jennifer Garner was decent and held her own in the fight scenes (she had lots of practice on Alias). However, my favorite actors in this movie were Chris Cooper, Jason Bateman and Ashraf Barhom, who played the Saudi police officer assisting the Americans in solving the case. Cooper was great as the grizzled veteran on the team and the bomb expert. Bateman served as the comic relief delivering one liner after one liner. But, the main man was Barhom who was excellent portraying a guy who had to respect the rules of his people, while also seeing the American side of the events and helping them get justice for the victims of the attack.
Overall, I walked out of the theater satisfied with what I had just seen and recommend it if you are looking for a decent action movie that has some politics mixed in.
5 out of 6 beers
Considering Berg is an executive producer on the TV show version of Friday Night Lights, it was cool that he had cameos from Dillon High head coach Kyle Chandler and cheerleader Minka Kelly.
Don't get me wrong as I really enjoyed the movie. The movie centered around an attack on an American compound located in Saudi Arabia and the quest to find the perpetrators of the attack. The action scenes were tense and well-filmed (which is tough to say with most movies nowadays). Berg did a great job of setting the scene with a fairly brilliant opening credit sequence that played as a kind of history lesson, as this movie dealt with the unique relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States, and the fact that this was not one of the other countries in the Middle East that most of us know more about. Jamie Foxx did his thing as the head of the FBI team sent to investigate the bombing. Jennifer Garner was decent and held her own in the fight scenes (she had lots of practice on Alias). However, my favorite actors in this movie were Chris Cooper, Jason Bateman and Ashraf Barhom, who played the Saudi police officer assisting the Americans in solving the case. Cooper was great as the grizzled veteran on the team and the bomb expert. Bateman served as the comic relief delivering one liner after one liner. But, the main man was Barhom who was excellent portraying a guy who had to respect the rules of his people, while also seeing the American side of the events and helping them get justice for the victims of the attack.
Overall, I walked out of the theater satisfied with what I had just seen and recommend it if you are looking for a decent action movie that has some politics mixed in.
5 out of 6 beers
Considering Berg is an executive producer on the TV show version of Friday Night Lights, it was cool that he had cameos from Dillon High head coach Kyle Chandler and cheerleader Minka Kelly.
CFB Week in Review (Week 5 aka Seriously?)
There is so much to digest about this weekend in general from going to see The Kingdom on Friday night (review to come later today), to the upsets on Saturday, all the way through the upsets on Sunday. This week's review will be more stream of consciousness as I was only able to watch the early games because of a home UH contest that we somehow inexplicably lost (and had me making up for missing the tailgating last Saturday for religious reasons).
So, each of the following ESPN/USA Today Top 25 teams all lost this weekend: Oklahoma, Texas, Florida, West Virginia, Oregon, Clemson, Penn State and Alabama. Not to mention, there were a number of very close calls for some other ranked teams. Analyzing who they just played and who they are about to play can give us some clarity on how far they may drop in my rankings and how far they should've dropped in the national polls (though they will always be dropped further than deserved based solely on record).
Oklahoma and Texas lost to inferior Big 12 opponents, Colorado and Kansas State respectively, in advance of their clash next week over the Red River. Colorado hasn't looked to good and while watching the game, Oklahoma was merely going through the motions and not playing with any emotion; a recipe for disaster. Meanwhile, Texas could not get revenge on the Wildcats after losing to them last year as well. Apparently, Colt McCoy is K-State's bitch. Oklahoma is a solid team, has played well up through this game (especially that win against Miami) and will be favored next week against Texas, whereas, Texas has not looked at all this season and may very well drop out of my rankings this week. The best two teams in the Big 12 losing to inferior opponents and one of these teams will have two conference losses by week 6. Seriously?
Florida's loss to Auburn was not that much of a surprise, as this is what pundits call a "trap game" wherein a favored team looks past a team they feel is inferior to them (who has something to prove) towards the bigger game the following weekend (see also, my UH Cougars who were inexcusably caught looking past East Carolina toward their trip to Bryant-Denny Stadium down in Tuscaloosa, Alabama to take on Saban's boys who just lost to FSU). They are about to have their showdown with LSU next Saturday night in primetime (where are we watching the game????) and Auburn was coming off back to back losses against South Florida and Mississippi State. Auburn was ranked in the preseason polls and for the most part, no team in the SEC is a slouch. Auburn's true freshman kicker has some ice water in his veins to be able to nail two straight 43-yard field goals (despite the first not counting because of that bs timeout rule- can we do something about this like NOW??) So, I am not going to penalize Florida too much as they are still a talented team and they will be hungry from some Bayou Bengal next week, but probably not enough to win.
Because I went to see The Kingdom on Friday night, I wasn't able to watch the WVU-USF game, but USF stymied the Mountaineer's profilic offense and pulled off the upset. USF is now in the driver's seat to win the Big East as none of the other big 3 (WVU, Louisville and Rutgers) have played each other yet. Is USF a serious contender for a national title? They just play mostly mistake-free football and are just solid and up and down. This will be a nice test case and a great thing about college football parity. This football team didn't even exist 10 years ago (and just goes to show what being in a BCS conference can do for a school - see also, Cincinnati).
Meanwhile, Oregon lost a close one to California, which proved that Cal is a really really good team and the Oregon is simply really good. If USC continues to play this sluggishly, watch out for some upsets down the line. The biggest problem with this game is that because I live in Texas, I was forced to watch the UT-KSU game in non-High Definition. I understand regional telecasts and I am a little glad that a lot of people were able to watch Texas suffer the humiliating defeat, but in this day and age, you mean ABC couldn't get some HD cameras to Austin for the game. Seriously?
As for Penn State, Alabama and Clemson, they all lost to teams they should've beaten, plain and simple. Illinois, under Ron Zook, is looking good so far this season in a weakened Big 10 and Penn State has dropped its first two Big 10 games (but, I am hearing that Michigan used an illegible player against JoePa's boys and the win may have to be vacated - h/t Dan Shanoff). Clemson inevitably lost a game it probably should've won, but GT is not a bad team and before the season, I may have marked this as a GT victory. Alabama, on the other hand, took another one on the chin against Bobby Bowden's Seminoles. Its not the FSU is a bad team, but Alabama should not lose a game like this. The question is how fired up will they be for homecoming next Saturday against my Coogs.
The Coogs - This was not a game a championship team should lose. This was the first game all season where I was like, man, I wish Kolb was still here, at least in the 4th quarter. This was a winnable game, but sometimes you just can't leave it up to your kicker who already had one blocked, shanked one left and was kicking on a wet field in a humid atmosphere. Three strikes and the Coogs are out. I really hope the team wasn't looking past a conference opponent towards Alabama, who, although a win would be great, is still a nonconference opponent. Luckily, the Coogs still hold their fate in their hands with games against Tulsa, UTEP and SMU on the horizon. Let's go into Alabama and win (if UH wins, it will mark their first ever victory in the state of Alabama).
Big Winners coming out of Week 5 - California, LSU (jumping to #1 in AP Poll - hey guys, most of America has had LSU at #1 since week 2, welcome aboard), South Florida, Ohio State, the Pac 10 (having a marquee game not including USC and not having a major upset in a week of bad upsets)
So, each of the following ESPN/USA Today Top 25 teams all lost this weekend: Oklahoma, Texas, Florida, West Virginia, Oregon, Clemson, Penn State and Alabama. Not to mention, there were a number of very close calls for some other ranked teams. Analyzing who they just played and who they are about to play can give us some clarity on how far they may drop in my rankings and how far they should've dropped in the national polls (though they will always be dropped further than deserved based solely on record).
Oklahoma and Texas lost to inferior Big 12 opponents, Colorado and Kansas State respectively, in advance of their clash next week over the Red River. Colorado hasn't looked to good and while watching the game, Oklahoma was merely going through the motions and not playing with any emotion; a recipe for disaster. Meanwhile, Texas could not get revenge on the Wildcats after losing to them last year as well. Apparently, Colt McCoy is K-State's bitch. Oklahoma is a solid team, has played well up through this game (especially that win against Miami) and will be favored next week against Texas, whereas, Texas has not looked at all this season and may very well drop out of my rankings this week. The best two teams in the Big 12 losing to inferior opponents and one of these teams will have two conference losses by week 6. Seriously?
Florida's loss to Auburn was not that much of a surprise, as this is what pundits call a "trap game" wherein a favored team looks past a team they feel is inferior to them (who has something to prove) towards the bigger game the following weekend (see also, my UH Cougars who were inexcusably caught looking past East Carolina toward their trip to Bryant-Denny Stadium down in Tuscaloosa, Alabama to take on Saban's boys who just lost to FSU). They are about to have their showdown with LSU next Saturday night in primetime (where are we watching the game????) and Auburn was coming off back to back losses against South Florida and Mississippi State. Auburn was ranked in the preseason polls and for the most part, no team in the SEC is a slouch. Auburn's true freshman kicker has some ice water in his veins to be able to nail two straight 43-yard field goals (despite the first not counting because of that bs timeout rule- can we do something about this like NOW??) So, I am not going to penalize Florida too much as they are still a talented team and they will be hungry from some Bayou Bengal next week, but probably not enough to win.
Because I went to see The Kingdom on Friday night, I wasn't able to watch the WVU-USF game, but USF stymied the Mountaineer's profilic offense and pulled off the upset. USF is now in the driver's seat to win the Big East as none of the other big 3 (WVU, Louisville and Rutgers) have played each other yet. Is USF a serious contender for a national title? They just play mostly mistake-free football and are just solid and up and down. This will be a nice test case and a great thing about college football parity. This football team didn't even exist 10 years ago (and just goes to show what being in a BCS conference can do for a school - see also, Cincinnati).
Meanwhile, Oregon lost a close one to California, which proved that Cal is a really really good team and the Oregon is simply really good. If USC continues to play this sluggishly, watch out for some upsets down the line. The biggest problem with this game is that because I live in Texas, I was forced to watch the UT-KSU game in non-High Definition. I understand regional telecasts and I am a little glad that a lot of people were able to watch Texas suffer the humiliating defeat, but in this day and age, you mean ABC couldn't get some HD cameras to Austin for the game. Seriously?
As for Penn State, Alabama and Clemson, they all lost to teams they should've beaten, plain and simple. Illinois, under Ron Zook, is looking good so far this season in a weakened Big 10 and Penn State has dropped its first two Big 10 games (but, I am hearing that Michigan used an illegible player against JoePa's boys and the win may have to be vacated - h/t Dan Shanoff). Clemson inevitably lost a game it probably should've won, but GT is not a bad team and before the season, I may have marked this as a GT victory. Alabama, on the other hand, took another one on the chin against Bobby Bowden's Seminoles. Its not the FSU is a bad team, but Alabama should not lose a game like this. The question is how fired up will they be for homecoming next Saturday against my Coogs.
The Coogs - This was not a game a championship team should lose. This was the first game all season where I was like, man, I wish Kolb was still here, at least in the 4th quarter. This was a winnable game, but sometimes you just can't leave it up to your kicker who already had one blocked, shanked one left and was kicking on a wet field in a humid atmosphere. Three strikes and the Coogs are out. I really hope the team wasn't looking past a conference opponent towards Alabama, who, although a win would be great, is still a nonconference opponent. Luckily, the Coogs still hold their fate in their hands with games against Tulsa, UTEP and SMU on the horizon. Let's go into Alabama and win (if UH wins, it will mark their first ever victory in the state of Alabama).
Big Winners coming out of Week 5 - California, LSU (jumping to #1 in AP Poll - hey guys, most of America has had LSU at #1 since week 2, welcome aboard), South Florida, Ohio State, the Pac 10 (having a marquee game not including USC and not having a major upset in a week of bad upsets)
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